3. Australia
3.3.5. Czech art
Two important and rare paintings and authors are responsible for the awareness of Czech art in Asutralia. Jiří (George) Chaloupka was a pioneer in the field of prehistory, who gave a sense of the paintings of the Wardaman tribe
in the Arnhem Land. Chaloupka held the postion of curator of The Northenr Territory Museum in Darwin and under his tutelage, the prestigious George Chaloupka Fellowship was established as an organization to support the study and the documentation of rock art by the Aboriginals in Australia. [44]
The second significant element of Czech art is the embellishement by method of sgraffity used in the St Gertrude’s in New Norcia, which was created by Josef Kučík. [45]
3.3.6. Entrepreneurship
The greatest Czech business successes have taken place and are still taking place in the least populous and the smallest state in Tasmania.
Milan Vyhnálek, nicknamed "The Cheese King and The Czech Cheese Pioneer", gradually built one of the largest companies in the field of dairy farming and cheese making industry in Australia through skill and clever marketing. Like the others, after migration to Australia, he had to participate in the Displaced Persons Program in Australia, under two-year contract of employment. The programe primarily included the manual work for the development of Australian territory in the field of raw material extraction or the road construction. In the 1950s, he founded Lactos into the largest considerable exporter of specialty cheeses and received a number of awards in Australia and abroad as well. In 1980, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire by the British Queen for his merits in the food processing industry. A year later, Lactos was bought by the giant French firm Bongrain and Vyhnálek returned to the Czech Republic and spent his pension here. [46]
Josef Chromý, as a butcher from Vysočina region, opened his own butcher’s shop in Tasmania in 1ͭͭͪ957 and over time began operetaing his own farms, abbatoirs and ham factory. In recent years, he leads an active life and creative work dedicated to successful business in the wine industry.[47]
Frank Lowy, undoubtedly the currently best renowed man of Czechoslovak origin in Australia. ,, He has assembled an enviable list of acquisitions: shopping centres and palatial homes, planes and boats and myriad forms of personalised transport more commonly associated with mass transit.
He’s been a board member of the Reserve Bank, president of the Art Gallery of NSW and has been knighted for his contribution to the UK economy. " [48]
To be worthy of notice the Czech inventor Ladislav Karpíšek, who contributed to the development with the innovation of the shipping container. [49]
3.3.7. Czech science
František Popovský was one of the Bata corporation worker who emigrated to Australia in the 1ͭͭͪ969 and soon rose to fame by world’s invention of disposable syringe and device of conversion of miles into kilometers which were installed in the cars across Australia. [50]
With the contribution of the development of Slavic studies is considered Jiří Marvan, who established the Slavic development at Monash University in Melbourne. The Monash University awards the best students of Slavism the George Marvan Prize up to now. After returning to the Czech Republic, Marvan taught at universities, even in Pilsen. [51]
3.3.8. Sport
Although Australia is associated with a dry and hot climate, due to impact of Czech active athletes, the Alpine skiing has become more popular in this country. The Czech couple Antonín Nešpor and Alexandra Nekvapilová, who participated in the 1948 Olympic Games, are behind the inception of Thredbo – the first Australian winter sports resort, situated on the highest mountain Mount Kosciuszko. They established a ski school, Hotel Sasa’s Lodge and Sponar’s Inn and the marketing of ski clothing. This resort is one of the most visited turistic centres in Australia up to now. [52]
4. New Zealand
4.1. Information and facts
New Zealand, also called Aotearoa, is the Maori name and literal translation of "land of the long white cloud". This island country has been inhabited by Maori since approximately 1300 AD. New Zealand is situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and geographically comprises two main landmasses – the North Island, the South Island, and around 600 smaller islands. The land mass is spread on the area of 103,483 square miles (268,021 square km). In the 31 December 2017, the amount of residents living in the country was estimated to 4,796,000. According to the official New Zealand census of 2001, the Czech community of compatriots had 969 people at that time. The census survey shows that in the 2001, there were 177 Slovaks living in New Zealand. However, the current estimate is 6,000 – 9,000 Czechs and Slovaks living in New Zealand, including 643 residents, i.e. citizens of the Czech Republic who have permanently relocated after 1997. Czech compatriot community is mainly concetrated around the two largest cities of the North Island, Welington and Auckland, where associations of compatriots comprising both Czechs and Slovaks works in the territory. The compatriot association in Wellington was founded in 1968, an association in Auckland in 1984. Smaller groups of compatriots live on the South Island. [32, 33, 34]
4.2. History
The first Czech settlement of migrants from Austro-Hungarian Empire was founded in New Zealand in the 1860s. A total of 83 migrants from Stod near, the fourth largest city in the Czech Republic, Pilsen and its surroundings came to New Zealand under the command of naval captain Martin Krippner. [35]
Krippner was a native of Stod, who received a better education than many of his contemporaries and studied law at Charles university in Prague. In 1842,
Martin Krippner joined the Austrian army and rose to the rank of captain. Later on, he obtained the Order of the Red Eagle by the kingdom of Prussia. When Krippner was 43 years old, he settled at Orewa in New Zealand and obtained permission from the Auckland provincial government to arrange a Bohemian colony on the river Puhoi, i.e. 50 kilometres from Auckland. On the 26 February 1863, as a one group of Czech and German families set out for journey from Prague, via an ancient town Gravesend in the United Kingdom, by boat called War Spirit to New Zealand, which took 106 days. During the journey, 7 children were born to the migrants and one member of the expedition died after destructive ocean storm. [36, 37]
Under the agreement, the New Zealand government allowed to each new resident 40 acres of land; provided that the settler arrives on island at its own expense. In total, the Czech-German group in New Zealand received 16 hectares of land and founded the village of Puhoi. [38]
Another wave of Czech migrants moving to New Zealand dates back from 1866 to 1876, many of them received 40 acres of land too. These groups of immigrants from Stod were led by Lorenzo Schischka. Their arrival was much easier because of the first settlers built the prosperous settlement by their own hands in wilderness area. Most of them made a living by the selling of agricultural and hand-crafted products to Auckland. In 1881, they built the Church Of Saints Peter and Paul, in which windows are mentioned Czech names of those who contributed to its construction. Even before the World War I., a state school and church were built and the colonized area got name ,,Puhoi - Bohemian settlement“. [39]
The second eminent Bohemian native having a significant influence on all New Zealand generations, including many of Māori people, was Gottfried Lindauer. To avoid being drafted to the Austro-Hungarian army he sailed to New Zealand, where his painting talent manifested in portraits of Māori chiefs and
warriors. In his paintings he captured an era that will never come back, the Māori traditional way of life in their villages. [40]
The next wave of immigrants who migrated to New Zealand in 1939, this time from Czechoslovakia, mostly consisted of Czech Jews fleeing Europe from Hitler. In most cases, they were doctors, architects, businessmen, entrepreneurs, but also tailors, watchmakers, or furniture makers. Whether intellectuals or craftspeople, they soon began to use their experiences well in New Zealand and achieved a high social status. [41]
The last major influx of migrants from Czechoslovakia was followed the Soviet occuption in 1968. At that time, the New Zealand government gave at its own expense to bring a hundred Czech families. With the help of religious organizations came other groups or individuals from the Czech Republic.
Despite the limitations on entering the country during the wartime, New Zealand government made an agreement on visa-free travel with Czechoslovakia, as the only country of the former Soviet Union. The diligence and high level of education of Czechoslovaks were contributive to an agreement. The noticeable group of Czechoslovak immigrants were awarded for their merits by the Order of the British Empire. [42]
4.3. Cultural influence of Czechs
This third section of New Zealand part is concerned with cultural impact of Czech immigrants on society. Our Czech identity is preserved and presented owing to Czech organizations and historical figures in New Zealand. Such organizations began to establish mostly during and after inter-war period because many people from Czech Republic fled the country across the border at that time for political reason. [43]
4.3.1. Czech institutions
The Czech and Slovak Club in New Zealand Inc. in Wellington is one of the first Czechoslovak organizations associating Czech and Slovaks in New Zealand. This non-governmental organization was founded in 1978 in Wellington and has over 100 members. The organization supports and commemorates Czech cultural traditions, folk customs and major events and regularly teaches the Czech language every Wednesday for the general public and organizes the so-called Czech school for children to overcome language barriers. In addition, the organization provides the library services of Czech and Slovak literature and published the patriotic magazine Střípky – Čriepky between 2005 and 2015. Each issue of the print magazine brought the latest news that took place in our country, interesting facts from history, crossword puzzles and jokes in order to preserve the Czech and Slovak legacy for compatriots in New Zealand. [44]
The second significant and major organization with extended scope is Czech and Slovak Club in Tauranga. Tauranga Club was established as an incorporated and non-profit organization, which was founded in September 2012, with its own structure – the President of this organization is Petr Faitl. This charity has been founded primarily for the benefit of Czech and Slovak community living in the area of Bay and Waikato in New Zealand. The importance of current Tauranga Club lies in organizing of Czech cultural and social workshops with the intention of approximating community of Czechs and Slovaks in New Zealand. Every year, the organization prepares large number of national events and festivals in which the Czech and Slovak culture are presented.
Tauranga Club contributes to another area of cultural legacy, as an educational mediate between adult compatriots and children, at Czech School and Kindergarten for Czech and Slovak Children. The school provides suitable conditions for children from 0 to 6 years of age and the education is based on
method of total immersion and offer a wide collection of literature in the library.
Children are in a totally Czech speaking environment during the lessons. [45]
To maintain good relationship and support amongst members of the Czech and Slovak communities
4.3.2. Famous Czech People
Among the prominent figures living in New Zealand was undoubtedly Frederick Turnovsky. He left the Czech Republic and fled to London after finding out that his name was on Gestapo list in March 1939. A year later, after his marriage, he emigrated to Wellington where he founded a company to produce watch straps and he registered it as Tatra Leather Goods Company. The company became successful and he was thought to be the first resident New Zealander to become a member of Lloyd’s, it’s the exclusive British firm of insurance underwriters. Under his leadership, Tatra became one of the largest makers of soft leather goods and was even awarded by government Export Award in 1966. Turnovsky represented the New Zealand Manufacturers Federation and was its president from 1972 to 1980. During his presidency, he led many delegations of manufacturers in Australasia and he participated in art.
He was involved in the formation of the Wellington Chamber Music Society and was its chairman. In 1953 he was a founding member of the New Zealand Opera Company and Arts Advisory Council also. In 1965 Turnovsky was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services in the field of music. With these special awards, Turnovsky can be considered a very important person of that time. [46]
Mirek Smíšek was one of the most prominent Czech compatriots, who emigrated to Australia after 1948 and then moved permanently to New Zealand where he became a major ceramist. His works of art were exhibited in many places in the world and he won numerous awards. In 2011 he was awarded the Gratias Agit Award by the Czech Foreign Ministry. Smíšek was chosen by Peter
Jackson, director of the famous trilogy The Lord of the Rings, to make potteries for aforementioned film. With the help of his wife, he produced a total of 700 ceramic ware in eight months. [47]
Hana Pressburgová survived a total of three concentration camps. During World War II, she was transported to Theresienstadt, then Auschwitz and after that to the concentration camp in Bergen-Belsen. Her life exeriences and stories told about the Holocaust for 30 years at schools and universities in New Zealand, where she emigrated after 1948. Pressburgová even organized an exhibition of drawings of children in Theresienstadt and she was awarded for her public activities by the New Zealand state honour Queen’s Service Medal.
[48]
5. Conclusion
This thesi’s object consist of three Czech communities in English-speaking countries and despite the gradual process of assimiliation, there is no doubt that several immigration waves of Czechs and Slovaks had to face many hardships in these countries. Needless to say, the process of assimilation of Australian Czechs was one of the complicated case before 1970s than in other countries.
On the other hand, the countries were able to receive thousands immigrants and provide them social benefits to meet their needs.
I was able to examine and display the experience of four respondents who lived in these countries and who confirmed to me that currently situtation allows to live without any restriction and be a part of different cultures. In addition, many of compatriot organizations with the mixed Czechoslovak membership maintain the heritage. It is appreciative that, despite all the difficulties and the distance, massive Czech ad Slovak influx were able to rise of genuine Czechoslovak culture, including theatre, broadcasting, literature and press.
6. Endnotes
1. THE CANADIAN ENCYKLOPEDIA, Czechs [online]
2. The Ministry of Foreign Affaires, Kanada [online]
3. ROVNÁ L., Dějiny Kanady, Page 363 4. ROVNÁ L., Dějiny Kanady, Page 363
5. The Ministry of Foreign Affaires, Kanada [online]
6. ROVNÁ L., Dějiny Kanady, Page 364
7. ČERMÁK J., It all began with Prince Rupert , Page 141 8. The Ministry of Foreign Affaires, Kanada [online]
9. ČERMÁK J., It all began with Prince Rupert , Page 171 10. ČERMÁK J., It all began with Prince Rupert , Page 256 1ͭͭͪ1ͭͭͪ. ČERMÁK J., It all began with Prince Rupert , Page 270 1ͭͭͪ2. ČERMÁK J., It all began with Prince Rupert , Page 214 13. CZECH AND SLOVAK ASSOCIATION, About [online]
14. CZECH AND SLOVAK ASSOCIATION, Masarykova cena [online]
1ͭͭͪ5. ČERMÁK J., It all began with Prince Rupert , Page 302 16. SOKOL CANADA, About [online]
17. CORNER THEATRE, Schedule [online]
1ͭͭͪ8. ČERMÁK J., It all began with Prince Rupert , Page 324 1ͭͭͪ9. RADIO KRAJANÉ, About. [online]
20. SATELLITE I – 41ͭͭͪ6, Úvod [online]
21ͭͭͪ. ČULÍK J., Czech emigré literature [online]
22. NOVAVIZE, O nás [online]
23. BAŤA STORY, Info [online]
24. THE NEW YORK TIMES, Thomas Bata [online]
25. The Ministry of Foreign Affaires, Vzájemné vztahy [online]
26. ČERMÁK J., It all began with Prince Rupert , Page 390
27. AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, Population clock [online]
28. CIGLER M. The Czechs in Australia, Page 33
29. CIGLER M. The Czechs in Australia, Page 6 30. The Ministry of Foreign Affaires, Krajané [online]
31. CIGLER M. The Czechs in Australia, Page 8 – 12
32. KULHÁNKOVÁ, J. Lidé duhového hada a Strážci dlouhého šedého mraku.
Page 69
33. MILLER J., BUREŠOVÁ J., TRAPL M., Český exil v Austrálii, Page 21ͭͭͪ7 – 220
34. MILLER J., BUREŠOVÁ J., TRAPL M., Český exil v Austrálii, Page 1ͭͭͪ42 – 159
35. ÚSTAV PRO STUDIUM TOTALITNÍCH REŽIMŮ, Hlas Domova [online]
36. KREISINGER P., Češi a Slováci v Austálii, page 331ͭͭͪ – 333
37. MILLER J., BUREŠOVÁ J., TRAPL M., Český exil v Austrálii, Page 201ͭͭͪ – 208
38. BESEDA ORG., Magazine/Časopis [online]
38. The Ministry of Foreign Affaires, České časopisy v Austrálii [online]
39. Czech and Slovak Association, Krajanský časopis Klokan [online]
40. BESEDA ORG, About Beseda [online]
41. Czech and Slovak Association, Historie klubu v datech [online]
42. Československý klub v Queenslandu, Všeobecné informace [online]
43. MILLER J., BUREŠOVÁ J., TRAPL M., Český exil v Austrálii, page 1ͭͭͪ93 – 196
44. Rchnovský deník, Útěk z Československa mu úplně změnil život [online]
45. MILLER J., BUREŠOVÁ J., TRAPL M., Český exil v Austrálii, page 220 46. Tasmanian History, Lactos Cheese Factory [online]
47. Josef Chromy Tasmania, Josef Chromy OAM [online]
47. IDNES.CZ, Před komunisty utekl do Tasmáne. Dnes je krále tamních vinařů [online]
48. The Australian, Rich and Rare Frank Lowy Looks Back on His Life [online]
49. IDNES.CZ, Čechoslovák v Austrálii: Tisícovka patentů a vynalézá i v 90 letech [online]
50. IDNES.CZ, V Austrálii zemřel baťovec Popovský, vynálezce jednorázové injekce [online]
51ͭͭͪ. Filozofická fakulta Uinverzity Karlovy, Zemřel lingvista Jiří Marvan [online]
52. MILLER J., BUREŠOVÁ J., TRAPL M., Český exil v Austrálii, Page 21ͭͭͪ4 – 215
53. SINCLAR, K. Dějiny Nového Zélandu. Page 325 54. STATS NZ TATAURANGA, Population [online]
55. KULHÁNKOVÁ, J. Lidé duhového hada a Strážci dlouhého šedého mraku.
Page 71
56. SINCLAIR, K. Dějiny Nového Zélandu. Page 327
57. OLIVER, H. M. The Oxford History of New Zealand. Page 311 58. VACULÍK, J. České menšiny v Evropě a ve světě. Page 266 59. SINCLAIR, K. Dějiny Nového Zélandu Page. 328
60. THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF CZECHIA, Historie [online]
61. SINCLAIR, K. Dějiny Nového Zélandu. Page 328 62. SINCLAIR, K. Dějiny Nového Zélandu. Page 329
63. ČESKÝ A SLOVENSKÝ KLUB WELLINGTON, O nás [online]
64. THE CZECH AND SLOVAK CLUB IN NEW ZEALAND, INC., Hlavní stránka [online]
65. CZECH AND SLOVAK CLUB TAURANGA, O klubu [online]
66. THE ENCYKLOPEDIA OF NEW ZEALAND, Story [online]
67. THE ENCYKLOPEDIA OF NEW ZEALAND, Story [online]
68. DENIK.CZ, Na Novém Zélandu zemřel český výtvarník [online]
69. HARTL, R. Nesmíme zapomenout na hrůzy holocaustu: Příběh Hany
7. Bibliography
7.1. Print sourcesCIGLER, Michael. The Czechs in Australia. Melbourne: AE Press, 1983. ISBN 0867872012.
ČERMÁK, Josef a Josef ČERMÁK. It all began with Prince Rupert: the story of Czechs and Slovaks in Canada / Josef Čermák. 2nd ed. Czech Republic:
Atelier IM Pub. Co. Luhačovice, 2005. ISBN 8085948516.
HARTL, Roman. "Nesmíme zapomenout na hrůzy holocaustu" : příběh Hanky Pressburgové. · Radnice, (201ͭͭͪ7), č. 2
KULHÁNKOVÁ, Jana. Lidé duhového hada a Strážci dlouhého šedého mraku:
minulost a současnost domorodých obyvatel Austrálie a Nového Zélandu.
Praha: FHS UK, 2010. Agora (Univerzita Karlova). ISBN 978-80-87398-09-8.
ROVNÁ, Lenka. Dějiny Kanady. Praha: Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 2000.
Dějiny států. ISBN 80-7106-211-1.
SINCLAIR, Keith. Dějiny Nového Zélandu. Praha: Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 2003. Dějiny států. ISBN 80-7106-556-0.
The Oxford history of New Zealand / Ed. by W. H. Oliver, B. R. Williams. - Oxford, Wellington : Clarendon Press ; Oxford University Press, 1981.
ISBN 0-19-558062-1
MILLER, Jaroslav, Český exil v Austrálii (1ͭͭͪ948-1ͭͭͪ989), Praha: Nakladatelství Lidové noviny 201ͭͭͪ6. ISBN 978-80-7422-519-2
KREISINGER, Pavel, Praha: Academia, 2018. ISBN 978-80-200-2821-1
BLAINEY, Geoffrey. Dějiny Austrálie. Praha: Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 1999. Dějiny států. ISBN 80-7106-334-7.
7.2. Internet sources
THE CANADIAN ENCYKLOPEDIA, Czechs [online], Available from:
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/czechs [Retrieved 20 March 2019].
The Ministry of Foreign Affaires, Kanada [online], Available from:
https://www.mzv.cz/jnp/cz/zahranicni_vztahy/krajane/krajane_ve_svete/histori e_krajanu/historie_krajanu-index_2.html [Retrieved 20 March 2019].
The Ministry of Foreign Affaires, Vzájemné vztahy [online], Available from:
The Ministry of Foreign Affaires, Vzájemné vztahy [online], Available from: